John 11:57 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him.

NIV: But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him.

NASB: Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where He was, he was to report it, so that they might arrest Him.

CSB: The chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should report it so that they could arrest him.

NLT: Meanwhile, the leading priests and Pharisees had publicly ordered that anyone seeing Jesus must report it immediately so they could arrest him.

KJV: Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where he were, he should shew it, that they might take him.

NKJV: Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a command, that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it, that they might seize Him.

Officially, the religious leaders of Jerusalem lack the political power to put Jesus to death (John 18:31). Roman rule typically meant allowing locals to govern themselves, under the guidance of an Empire-installed governor and other politicians. Men like Pilate and Herod could enact the death penalty, but neither of these men have a good relationship with the Sanhedrin. In addition, Jesus has amassed enough followers that any direct attack would be met with a riot (Mark 12:12; Matthew 21:46). For those reasons, it's unlikely that the Council has publicly stated their intention to have Jesus killed.

Instead, they put out the ancient equivalent of an all-points bulletin, asking to know where Jesus is. This isn't a general location, but a specific one. What they mean is for someone to tell them where Jesus is lodging, at night, if or when He comes to the city for Passover (John 11:55). The people are aware that Jesus is a wanted man, and wonder if He'll avoid the city entirely as a result (John 11:56).

What few people expect is that Jesus will not only come back to Jerusalem, but He'll do so to great fanfare and a triumphal entry (John 12:12–19). That moment is a key incident in these last days before Jesus is finally captured, crucified, and resurrected.

John 11:45–57 follows Jesus' seventh and most spectacular miraculous ''sign,'' the resurrection of Lazarus. Amazingly, Jesus enemies are so hardened against Him that this miracle only inspires them to have Jesus killed even more quickly. This is one of many examples disproving the claim that non-believers merely lack sufficient evidence. Critics claim Jesus may incite rebellion and invite destruction from Rome. For the most part, however, Jesus is a threat to their pompous arrogance and positions of power. When Jesus maintains a low profile, the religious leaders give orders to find Him so He can be arrested. This sets in motion the critical events completing Jesus' sacrificial death.

Jesus has left the vicinity of Jerusalem to avoid hostile religious leaders. While gone, He receives word that a good friend, Lazarus, is sick. In fact, Lazarus has died by the time this message reaches Jesus. He purposefully waits a few days before returning to Bethany, arriving four days after Lazarus' burial. In front of Lazarus' mourning sisters—who Jesus weeps with—and an assembled crowd, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead in a stirring and spectacular miracle. This is the seventh of John's seven ''signs'' of Jesus' divine power. In response, religious leaders coordinate in their effort to have Jesus murdered.

After giving sight to a man born blind (John 9), Jesus sparred with religious leaders on at least two occasions (John 10). After another failed arrest attempt, Jesus left the area and went out where Jerusalem's politics had little influence. In this chapter, He returns to resurrect a recently-departed friend, Lazarus. That results in a renewed commitment from Jerusalem's religious leaders to have Jesus murdered. As the crucifixion draws near, Jesus will stage His triumphal entry in chapter 12, and then begin His final teachings to the disciples.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.